KNOWLEDGE ATTITUDE AND PRACTICES OF OBESITY AND WEIGHT MANAGEMENT AMONG NURSES

Introduction: The pandemic of overweight and obesity in developed and developing countries presents a challenge to public health and requires medical intervention, modifications of individual behavior, and environmental changes. Objectives: The main objective of the study is to analyse the knowledge attitude and practices of obesity and weight management among nurses. Material and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Lahore during 2019 to 2020.  We assessed the following characteristics: billing sector (in the con- trolled billing sector, the fee per consultation is set by the Health Insurance Administration. Results: Most GPs regarded obesity as a disease and agreed that their role includes weight problem management, but 57.5% felt that they do not manage it effectively. Approximately 30% considered overweight and obese patients lazier and more self-indulgent than normal weight people, and 57.2% were rather pessimistic about these patients’ ability to lose weight. GPs rated food intake as a significantly more important risk factor for obesity than stress, hormonal problems, or unemployment. Conclusion: It is concluded that nurses felt that management of weight prob- lems was one of their responsibilities.